method Partners with Simply the Basics to Make Hygiene Access More Equitable for All

As the founding partner of Simply the Basics' Hygiene Bank Association™, method aims to "burst the bubble" on hygiene insecurity

SAN FRANCISCO, June 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- method, a leading personal care and cleaning brand, announces a multi-year founding partnership of the Simply the Basics' Hygiene Bank Association™ to help close the hygiene access gap and make hygiene essentials, like shampoo, soap, and deodorant, more accessible to all. Today, there are an estimated 50 million* Americans affected by hygiene insecurity and no existing public programs that support hygiene products**.

Through this partnership, method is proud to support Simply the Basics, the first internationally reaching hygiene bank of its kind, in its mission to give those in need a choice of high-quality hygiene products and in the scalable programs and tools they've pioneered to drive wide-reaching and long-term impact. Simply the Basics has led the way in demonstrating the important role that hygiene plays in physical and mental health and helping people achieve their full potential. 92% of recipients*** of Simply the Basics' essential hygiene products reported an improvement in their sense of wellness and dignity.

Introducing the Simply the Basics Hygiene Bank Association™
Simply the Basics brought method on as an exclusive, founding partner, to launch the Hygiene Bank Association™ (HBA), the first system in the world to connect existing hygiene service providers to one another and to establish quality control standards for hygiene distribution. Qualified organizations that provide hygiene services, such as local food banks, libraries, and non-profits, can become members of the HBA, gaining access to tools and resources, such as training on hygiene inequity, and connections needed to further their goals, improve operations, and make a long-term impact on public health. 

"Simply the Basics has been working since 2016 to make hygiene care equitable and accessible to everyone, regardless of their income or housing status. We believe that everyone has a right to their most basic human needs, and hygiene is an essential need for health and wellness." says Meghan Freebeck, CEO and Founder of Simply the Basics. "We are proud and excited to have the support of method in launching the Hygiene Bank Association, which will establish the very first quality control standards in the country for hygiene distribution. We look forward to the opportunity for advancements in public health and the strengthening of other hygiene services across the globe that will be made through the Hygiene Bank Association."

Bursting the Bubble on Hygiene Insecurity
With method's history of changing the way the world thinks about cleaning and their commitment to creating quality products, the brand is excited to help make hygiene products more consistently available to all and to help everyone be part of the solution. method and Simply the Basics invite consumers to get involved by visiting Simply the Basics' newly launched Hygiene Locator™ tool, which helps users find a nearby hygiene bank to volunteer at and donate. The tool also aids those in need to find hygiene essentials, like specific locations with showers or access to hygiene products, more efficiently and consistently. It also offers a variety of features to search by filtering by hygiene item type or most needed item, location or zip code, appointment or drop-in requirements, language availability, and more.

To further raise awareness around this unspoken problem, method worked with Simply the Basics to share real human stories from those who have experienced hygiene insecurity and non-profit partners who work closely with this community featured on method's website. In addition, method developed an interactive educational game that challenges users to "burst their bubble" on their hygiene insecurity knowledge. Users are rewarded for educating themselves with a promo code to use on methodproducts.com.

method is using its expansive portfolio of quality personal and home care products that address the full spectrum of hygiene and cleaning needs by providing quarterly product support to Simply the Basics' grant program, which aids newly formed and growing Hygiene Bank Association Members. The Simply the Basics' HBA will award grants to qualifying hygiene banks across the country, primarily focusing on areas with limited access to hygiene or other social services and providing support to early-stage hygiene banks that would otherwise have limited resourcing.

In addition to its support for Simply the Basics' HBA, method has also established a long-term partnership with an UK-based organization, The Hygiene Bank, as its first official gold tier partner. method is championing wellbeing and inclusivity globally as it joins forces with these organizations on their mission to end hygiene insecurity.

For more information visit methodproducts.com.

*Source: United Way
**Source: The Century Foundation
***Source: Simply the Basics Annual Impact Report 2022

ABOUT METHOD:
method (methodproducts.com) is the pioneer of design-driven home, fabric, and personal care products. From its inception, method has actively championed for diversity and sustainability, as well as applying design and creativity as powerful tools for change. method recently launched "method for change", a campaign inviting every single person into their mission of building a better, more fulfilled world by bridging intention and impact and putting change within reach of everyone.

ABOUT SIMPLY THE BASICS:
Simply the Basics (www.simplythebasics.org) is the first internationally reaching hygiene bank based out of the United States. The Mission of Simply the Basics is to provide for people, communities, and nonprofit organizations their most basic needs with dignity so that they can focus on greater goals. Simply the Basics' impact goals are to make hygiene more equitable and accessible for everyone regardless of income or housing status to improve physical health and wellness. The organization improves public health and helps people to achieve their greater goals by ensuring basic needs are met. Simply the Basics is launching the Hygiene Bank Association in 2023, a conglomerate of qualified hygiene bank members with the shared goal of furthering health and wellness through equitable access to their basic needs.

ABOUT THE SIMPLY THE BASICS HYGIENE BANK ASSOCIATION™:
The Simply the Basics Hygiene Bank Association™ will be the FIRST system in the world to establish Quality Control Standards for hygiene bank distribution services, connect existing hygiene banks to one another, and provide the tools needed to be successful in equitably improving public health through hygiene access.

Simply the Basics Hygiene Bank Association™ is a Membership Platform for eligible hygiene services to strengthen their programs, improve operations, and further their impact on health and wellness. Nonprofit organizations that collect and distribute hygiene products and basic needs to the community as core components of their services are eligible for membership.

The goal of the HBA is to create long term, consistent solutions to help close the hygiene inequality gap through:

• Equitable distribution: Ensuring that quality basic and essential hygiene needs that directly improve health and wellness are more easily accessible and equitable for communities that have historically been neglected.
• Quality control: Setting quality control standards for hygiene distribution programs.
• Sharing best practices: Providing Hygiene Bank Members with the tools, resources, and connections needed to further their impact, improve operations, and make a long-term public health impact.
• Raising awareness: Educating the community on hygiene inequity and reducing stigma.

ABOUT THE HYGIENE BANK:
Established in 2018, The Hygiene Bank is a leading international charity and social movement tackling hygiene poverty in the UK. Grounded in the community, our network of local projects is powered by volunteers, who collect donated hygiene basics and distribute them to people in need via local community partners such as food banks and schools. Driven by the belief that everyone deserves to feel clean, The Hygiene Bank challenges the injustice of hygiene poverty, generates awareness and advocates for a future where everyone has access to the basics needed to keep clean and healthy. 

SOURCE method